It's living.
Sun, sand, and surf.
And a nice pair of wheels doesn't hurt. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 17, 2021
October 15, 2021
Our World of Fake News
Fake news about Israel and the Jews continues to proliferate from many mainstream news sources that have sold out to the devil any credibility, they may have one had. Whether it’s the “Failing New York Times,” “Fake News CNN” or any other of the notorious media sources that are alleged to report biased, tainted news, unfortunately, it seems like a virtual non-stop barrage of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic spewing. It may be overt or more subtle, but there are organizations like Honest Reporting that are tracking and calling out the false news reporting for the lies that they are.Whether it’s 1984 “Big Brother” telling you what to think and do or the media twisting the truth so that’s unrecognizable anymore, this is dangerous not only to the Jews as scapegoats, but to the souls, freedom and future of our world.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 14, 2021
Fun Cars To Pretend
October 13, 2021
VW Love Van
The Hippie generation knew just how to make them gorgeous.
Peace, Love, Rock and Roll!
And the rainbow streaks and flowers for added good cheer.
If VW would make these already with the paint job with all this expression, I bet they would sell like hotcakes! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 12, 2021
Eye Earrings
October 11, 2021
October 10, 2021
The Mother of all Cactus Needles
When I checked out from the store with this deadly plant, the cashier oulls the cactus from the shopping cart and gets one of the pins stuck right in her finger.
It was just sort of caught there with the other end hanging out a couple of inches from her finger.
A little shocked and not sure what to say, I just sort of stumbled "Oh, Are you okay? I so sorry!"
She said she was and reached over and plucked the needle out holding her hand limply in the other.
On the way home then, this guy says to me, "you better not sit on that thing."
Ah yeah, you're not kidding! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 9, 2021
Light at the End of The Ark
Why was Noah commanded to build a skylight in the ark?
Noah and all the fascinating people in the Bible weren’t just characters in a novel, but they were real people and they experienced up and downs, as we all do in life. The key to remember is that there is always a window where we can see our relative good fortune and everything we have to be grateful for, where we can keep an eye on the light at the end of tunnel (as my father used to say about bad things, “this too shall pass”), and we can look up to our Father in Heaven and remember that He will bring deliverance to us. Even in the mightiest of floods that devastated the world, G-d was still there for us, and He was, is, and always will be!
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 8, 2021
He Who Saves A Life
We all know the Jewish dictum of “He who save a life, saves the world.” In Judaism, every single life is invaluable, and hence we are even allowed to violate the holy Shabbat for the preservation of human life (“Pikuach Nefesh“). Similarly, when it came to a prisoner exchange for IDF Sargent first Class, Gilad Shalit, who had been held by Hamas terrorists for five years (2006-2011), Israel exchanged1,027 Palestinians in a prisoner exchange for Shalit. Life is truly sacred to the Jewish people.
This week, I had the opportunity to meet and hear from members of Israel Air Force’s Elite Search and Rescue, Unit 669, at Magen David Synagogue in Rockville, Maryland. There I was reminded of the brave Israeli soldiers who not only defend the holy land and people of Israel, but also who are there to search for missing soldiers and rescue them and civilians “regardless of location or conditions” when faced with war, terrorism, or other disaster. Soldiers from unit 669 go into every possible dangerous situation, and under fire, to save lives at whatever cost to themselves.
(Source Photo: Flikr)
Beautiful Bonsai Tree
The way it is on one hand natural and on the other hand "sculpted" by people.
Sort of a metaphor for life, where G-d gives us the raw material and asks us to go do good with it.
G-d creates and people shape that creation.
Beautiful partnership makes a beautiful Bonsai! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 7, 2021
Pineapple Umbrella Drinks
October 6, 2021
Hat of Hats
October 5, 2021
Fish of the Sea
October 4, 2021
October 2, 2021
True Meaning of Torah Observant
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 1, 2021
September 30, 2021
A Soul-Stirring Holocaust Memorial
As we recently completed the Jewish high holidays between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a time of Judgment, and we ask G-d to forgive us, so we are told that we are asked to forgive others. However, can we ever really forgive the magnitude and cruelty of this genocidal crime to the Jewish people? I don’t think that is really humanly possible to forgive the premeditated and scientifically executed, brutal murder of a third of all Jews in the entire world. However, I do thank the artist, Wolfgang Stiller for his sentiments with the Magen David to remember and never forget the Holocaust, and most importantly, to never let it happen again! Finally, my hope is that this artwork memorializing the Holocaust finds a suitable home in perhaps Yad Vashem or other major Holocaust museum or exhibition where people can broadly experience and benefit from the important sentiments conveyed.
September 29, 2021
True Self Is Helping Others
The Rebbe’s message was that self-improvement was really about helping others! All the changes we commit to around the Jewish New Year and make in ourselves is not really about us, but rather about us being able to develop ourselves in order to “give it all away” to help others. Too often, people think in terms of self-help, self-improvement, where everything is sort of in terms, well, ourselves–my looks, my degrees, my career, my bank account, my family, and so on. However, people should not lose sight that everything that Hashem gives us is really for a higher spiritual purpose, for giving to others or “paying it forward.”
In this vein, we learn Torah not just for the sake of learning, but rather in order to actually do Mitzvot! Rabbi Kaplan explained that the Rebbe would make each and every person feel special and important. Why? Because by building up the individual, each could then go out and build up the world. And this is one of the reasons that I love and respect Chabad so much—from my experience, people like Rabbi Kaplan and Chabad in general, are all about living this life lesson from the Rebbe and giving, giving, and then giving some more in order to really improve the Jewish community globally and by extension the world.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 28, 2021
September 27, 2021
Taste Like Nothing
It's hot in the Florida sun, especially at the beach.
So, I was interested in ordering a cup of Thai bubble tea with Boba.
I ask the lady:
What does it taste like?
Lady answers:
The boba [taste] is like nothing!
I ask:
Can you put in a lot of boba?
She says:
Tea sweet, but no more boba.
I ask:
Why?
She tells me:
Because it's nothing.
I try again:
But if it's nothing, why can't you put in some more?
She says:
It's tapioca, but it taste like nothing and I can only put in a handful.
My final try:
Ok, give me some Thai tea with the boba in it.
Lady:
Are you sure? It tastes like nothing.
Me:
Yes, yes, yes. I love boba with nothing taste, just make sure the tea is plenty sweet!
Like my dear dad used to say:
The food here is terrible, and on top of it the portions are too small! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 26, 2021
September 25, 2021
Turning Nakba to Babka
The term Nakba, in relation to Israel, was actually was first used in August 1948 by Syrian Professor Constantin Zureiq not to condemn anything Israel did to the Palestinians, but rather is a call for the Arabs themselves whereby:
We must admit our mistakes…and recognize the extent of our responsibility for the disaster that is our lot.The displacement of the Palestinians and their refugee problem is attributed not primarily to Israel, but rather to the mistakes that the Palestinians and Arabs made themselves! So, while, the Arabs and Palestinians have tried to make Israel into the aggressor and blame them for their troubles, the truth of the matter is that the Palestinians Nakba is to a great extent caused by their own religious intolerance, gross hatred of the Jews, including the desire for their genocide, and that this has led them down a true disastrous path of Middle East recklessness and extremely bad decision making, over and over again.
The goods news is that in more recent times, the Arab nations are thank G-d changing their hostile approach to Israel and instead moving to make peace. Not only Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1993), but in the last year with the Abraham Accords with both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as with Sudan and Morocco normalizing relations with Israel. Even this morning, I was amazed once again to read an editorial in the Wall Street Journal calling for Iraq to join the Abraham Accords too! Of course, the hope is that more and more Arab countries as well as the Palestinians will choose the path of peace and collaboration with Israel, as Ben-Gurion had originally held out to them in 1948 (it’s never too late). The prophetic vision of swords turning to ploughshares is perhaps today’s turning of the shedding of tears and assigning blame over a perceived Nakba into sitting down together on Sukkot for a nice piece (peace) of chocolate babka!
September 23, 2021
Gourds Everywhere
September 22, 2021
Two Flutes Are Better Than One
September 21, 2021
What She Smoking?
September 20, 2021
In Case Of Emergency
September 19, 2021
Unstoppable Fear Meets Immovable Humiliation
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is really about fear vs. humiliation. The Jews are fearful of the Palestinians and the Palestinians feel humiliated by the Jews. The Jewish people collectively suffer post-traumatic stress and anxiety disorders after millennia of persecution culminating in the Holocaust and multiple Wars in Israel against far greater Arab forces. Further, this has been perpetuated by decades of terrorism and Intifadas that have left the Jews feeling vulnerable in their own land of Israel. The net effect of this Jewish history and of being surrounded by hundreds of millions of Arabs, many resentful and angry, is that Jews are naturally afraid. At the same time, the Palestinians, as part of the greater Arabs, feel humiliated after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the carving up of their lands by the West and the colonialism and occupation that followed by Britain and France. More recently, the Palestinians feel humiliated by the founding of the State of Israel amidst the multitude of Arab lands of the Middle of East, as well as by the barrier wall and regular checkpoints that protects Israel from terrorist intruders, by the West Bank settlements (and actually by Jews anywhere in Israel), and by general Israeli military control over the territories.There is hope that in time and with G-d's help, the opposing forces of fear and humiliation will weaken and thereby become less oppositional. At that miraculous time, please G-d in the near future, the factors that prior resulted in a cosmic explosion of war, terror, Jihad, and Intifada will dissipate. Then instead of suicide bombers and terror tunnels and walls and checkpoints, we can have hope for the arrival of a beautiful white dove with an olive branch of peace that knows no bitter boundaries of Jew or Palestinian anymore.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 17, 2021
Watch Your Feet
September 15, 2021
Virtual Car Driving Into Garage
September 14, 2021
That's Such Bull
September 13, 2021
All The Presidents Men
September 12, 2021
More Daring than a Prison Break
Unlike the Jews that came as refugees from the horrors of the concentration camps and expelled from a multitude of the Arab nations, the Palestinians have been supported all this time by the Arab League, the United Nations, and the West capitulating to Arab oil dependence and ongoing fight against an encroaching Russia in the Middle East. There is no question that the Palestinians have squandered billions of dollars in aid, spent decades engrossed in terror, maintained unrealistic goals to “have it all,” and passed over many chances for achieving their people’s autonomy. If only their efforts at building tunnels to escape from prison as well as to get into Israel and attack, murder, and kidnap innocents would be channeled instead toward building solid institutions to advance the governing of their people, educating and growing prosperity, and living in freedom and peace, side-by-side with their neighbor, Israel.
While I am sure that there are many good Palestinians who are deserving of autonomy and opportunity, unfortunately, their corrupt leaders and terrorists have been brainwashed by radical Islam and have used the Palestinian people as political pawns leaving many still languishing in refugee camps today. In stark contrast, the Jewish freedom fighters, who also endured incredible hardships, focused their efforts towards their independence, and even those taken prisoner managed to escape again and again until they made their way back to Israel to celebrate the achievement of the independence of their people. Like many things in life, setting the right goal is half the battle, and a goal of life and freedom is a much more compelling vision and driving force than ever hate and terror will be.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 10, 2021
Georgetown View
Like the stone and red brick, the neat little bridges, and the cool retaining wall.
Have Pinstripes bowling on side, "Church" beer garden on the other, and across the street is an AMC movie theater and a promenade along the Potomac River.
On M Street, of course, is all the shopping. Go crazy!
Lot's of people. Tough to park. Nice to visit. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 9, 2021
Upside Down Car
Car ended up flipping over!
What was really weird was that the advertisement on the side of the car was for a personal injury lawyer.
Hopefully, the person(s) in the car came out okay and didn't need to call the "hurtline" listed. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy and Dannielle Blumenthal)
September 7, 2021
Deep In Meditation
September 6, 2021
On a Wink and a Prayer
September 5, 2021
The Last Kiss Goodnight
Certainly, every human being has the desire to live and goes about fighting for life. It’s part of our genetic makeup and our very survival instinct. Yet, we all know that the cycle of life brings us from the beginnings of infancy to growth, the maturity of adulthood, then decline, old age and ultimately death itself. Truly, we all know the end from the very beginning, and with that we can achieve a greater awareness that what’s good in living isn’t the materialism and chasing the next “high,” but rather the ability to choose to do good and to be on a higher spiritual plane.Life is choice and having control over how we respond to life’s circumstances. Death is simply observing and being. Therefore, even if we merit being in the Divine presence in the afterlife, we still can’t actively help anyone, like those we love, any longer. This is why we want to merit life where we can continue to work on ourselves and help others. Thus, despite all the pain and suffering associated with life, it is more than offset by the opportunity to learn, grow, and transform our very essence in a purification process of our souls.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 3, 2021
Shabbat Shalom + Shana Tova
September 2, 2021
Join U.S. Space Force
September 1, 2021
Vase With Tongue Out
Very creative, but also a little gross.
I remember some crazy elders who used to say to put that tongue away or you'll get it cut right off.
At least the flowers will still remain and grow in the sunlight! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 31, 2021
Fox Tails Rainbow
Ok, they're colored but still from fox.
I asked the lady where the rest of the foxes where.
She pointed to the face masks in the tray (again real skinned faces from the foxes).
Then she pointed me to the inside of the store, and said the rest of the foxes are in there. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 30, 2021
Cane Giraffe
August 29, 2021
Israeli Determination and the Afghanistan Debacle
It’s not always the largest, strongest, fastest, and best financed that wins. Like with the story of David and Goliath or even one of my modern-day heroes, Rocky, the determination of the little guy can overcome the biggest and the best of them. The Taliban were patient and over twenty years continued to wage their struggle against us, but more than that they knew that our patience was limited and that eventually we would leave, and they took the long view and planned for the overthrow of the government and the return of their rule after we were gone. They waited us out and that can be an incredibly successful strategy!Israel is the Jewish homeland and the Biblical Promised Land from G-d. What the Palestinians haven’t understood in all these years, since the State’s founding in 1948, is that no matter how long they try to wait us out, we have more determination than they have patience! The Jewish people will never give up our historical and legitimate rights to be a sovereign nation in our land, Israel. In the end, the Palestinians may be very patient, but we are the ones who are utterly determined: whether Ashkenazi or Mizrachi, Labor or Likud, Tel Avivian or Jerusalemite, one thing that we all fundamentally agree on is our sheer and utter determination as the Jewish people to survive and be a free nation in our land.
(Source Photo: Pixabay)
August 27, 2021
Cycle of Life - From Birth to Death
August 26, 2021
Anti-Dentite, Like Pulling Teeth
Notice the dentist has his foot up to get some leverage to pull out the teeth, yikes!
I guess this is how things were in the "olden days."
No Anesthesia either!
I'm sure in a hundred years from now, they'll look at our state of healthcare and laugh too.
Progress is a great thing! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 25, 2021
Israel and Our Forefathers
It shows that the Hebrew word for Israel is actually made up of the first letters of all the names of our forefathers and mothers:
Isaac - יצחק
Jacob - יעקב
Sarah - שרה
Rebecca - רבקה
Rachel - רחל
Abraham - אברהם
Leah - לאה
Like the Bible says, we are truly the "children of Israel" (ישראל)! ;-)
(Credit Photo: RavDror via Facebook)
August 24, 2021
Awesome Designer Jeans
August 23, 2021
Giraffe Lady
She's got the makeup, nice hat and jewelry and is relaxing with her back to the mirror.
Life is good!
On second thought, why the heck is a neck as long as a giraffe?
What is this another version of Pinocchio or something!
Wake up lady, you've got problems to deal with here. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 22, 2021
G-d Doesn't Ask Us
Truly, in whatever situations we find ourselves in life, and the pain and suffering that we may have to endure, we really don’t have a choice of our circumstance, but only in how we choose to respond to it. In life, G-d puts us right where he wants us and in situations that are personalized and best for us, whether it feels that way at the moment or not. G-d tries us, and we have to respond with the “right” thoughts, words, and deeds—always remaining a mensch and choosing holiness and righteousness, no matter how difficult it may be. That’s our ultimate challenge, to find holiness even in the depths of despair.Everyone is confronted with levels of pain and suffering, as I heard said that: “there aren’t enough people for all the pain in the world!” The challenge is to resist hopelessness and the loss of one’s integrity, and nevertheless to choose to do good. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, we have the opportunity to do teshuva and to try to influence G-d’s decree for us for the new year, but in the end, G-d is the ultimate Judge. He doesn’t ask us; He tells us what will be for us. Of course, we have the opportunity to answer G-d’s call to us and the responsibility to choose righteousness even in a distressed world and in trying times. In essence, the underlying test of it all is not only to survive the challenges we must face, but also to emerge from them as better people with purified souls.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 20, 2021
Invasion USA
August 19, 2021
Beautiful Building Architecture
August 18, 2021
Y'All Crazy
August 17, 2021
Disastrous Politics
- 20 years of blood and treasure: $2,000,000,000,000, and 2,500 lost US military personal and G-d knows how many casualties (oh, about another 20,000)!
Now complete and utter chaos, and a turnover to terrorism.
Reminiscent of Iran's overthrow of the Shah and the U.S. hostage crisis for 444 days and when we lost Vietnam and the helicopters frantically evacuating US embassy personnel from the rooftop.
BTW, what happened to our "Red Lines" on chemical weapons in Syria?
Where are our inherent values and the dependability of who we are and what we stand for?
Now we are once again emboldening Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia.
Moreover, US Admiral says China is within 6 years of potentially taking Taiwan (guess where most of the computer chips are made and we already have a shortage)!!!
On top of this we have the Delta variant of Covid (and fears of worse coming) for this 1.5 year long pandemic with the CDC mask on again/off again non-sensical guidance.
Then we have a $1,200,000,000,000 infrastructure bill and a $3,500,000,000,000 social welfare bill in the works to put on top of the US already almost $29,000,000,0000,000 national debt.
Any ideas what that will do to the value of the US currency in the world and inflation rearing its ugly head.
I am starting to see a run on food and home stables in the stores again with items sold out.
Consumer confidence is shaking and the stock market is teetering off at a very high precipice.
Oh, don't forget the border crisis which is getting out of control again.
What the F*** is going on here? ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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